BD partnership aims to make blood tests more convenient

Dawn Furnas//May 11, 2022

Babson and BD are advancing development of the blood testing ecosystem, which includes BD’s capillary-collection technology and Babson’s proprietary automated sample-handling and analytical technologies. – BD

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Co.), based in Franklin Lakes, and fellow health care technology company Babson Diagnostics of Austin, Texas, want to make it more convenient for patients to collect blood samples. To that end, they announced an expanded partnership May 11 to develop a system that allows patients to collect samples at home for diagnostic testing.

The companies have collaborated since 2019 to create a capillary blood collection and testing system – which is now in advanced development – to enable lab-quality, small-volume collection at retail pharmacy sites by employees with no previous experience in the process.

As part of the expanded agreement, the companies will build upon their research to develop a system for self-collection, mobile services and at-home collection. Babson and BD will also expand the types of blood tests that are possible through small-volume blood collection beyond primary care-oriented tests, and they plan to develop diagnostic tests for pediatric use.

“This is a paradigm-shifting solution that addresses multiple unmet needs within the current health care system,” Brooke Story, president of integrated diagnostics solutions for BD, said in a statement. “Because it is less invasive and more convenient than the traditional venous blood draw method, capillary blood collection may lead to an improved patient experience, which in turn could help health care providers see better compliance among patients for routine blood testing.”

According to the announcement, BD’s capillary-collection technology and Babson’s proprietary automated sample-handling and analytical technologies have been designed to work together to enable blood testing that requires only one-tenth the sample volume of traditional venipuncture methods without sacrificing quality, accuracy, or the number and types of tests that are possible.

Babson Diagnostics CEO David Stein added that although getting tests done at retail sites is convenient, it’s “critical” for patients to be able to test at home “in today’s health care environment.”

Having 70 years of specimen management experience, BD is one of the largest medical technology companies in the world. Babson Diagnostics, which will continue to work with retail pharmacies, has a mission of making routine blood testing less invasive, more convenient and affordable.